Jason Licht Wants Bucs To Trade Down
March 31st, 2026
“Ignore the mock drafts, Mr. Glazer.”
So Joe had a sitdown with Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht yesterday on fancy chairs inside the dark swanky confines of the Arizona Biltmore resort in Phoenix.
(No, Joe is not staying at the iconic property. Joe’s at a hotel in walking distance to an In-N-Out burger.)
Joe asked Licht a question about trading up in the draft, which is just 23 days away. Licht said he’d like to trade down.
JoeBucsFan.com: At this point in the offseason, do you have a framework of what it would cost to trade up, or is it too early for that?
Bucs GM Jason Licht: No, it’s not too early. We go through all the scenarios. We look at all that. You know, we love picks. I’m not saying there wouldn’t be a scenario where we move up, but we have a lot of places where we want to add some depth, add some starters, add some help. Right now, it would be more attractive to collect more picks. But I’m not saying that we wouldn’t move up.
Licht hinted at a strong desire to trade down at the NFL Scouting Combine last month. It seems like the Bucs feel they’ll be in an attractive spot for that with their No. 15 overall pick.
Joe is all for trading down, if Licht can pull off what he did with the trade-down haul of the 2018 draft: adding key Super Bowl cogs.
March 31st, 2026 at 1:02 pm
sounds like JL received my email lol
trade down!!!…draft Kadyn Proctor/OG/Bama
then defense the rest of the way….
GO BUCS!!!!
March 31st, 2026 at 1:03 pm
That would be ideal. Trading down from 15 into the 20s. The talent level drop is after the top 9 picks or so. 12-30 I feel like the talent level isnt much different between those picks.
But im sure most teams feel the same way. So the question becomes, is there a player when the Bucs are on the clock that a team really wants? Maybe Sadiq
March 31st, 2026 at 1:04 pm
He have no choice but to trade down, if he could
They have holes at every position on defense
And this comes from years of poor drafting of defensive players
March 31st, 2026 at 1:05 pm
Losers trade down. Winners trade up! Want mediocrity? Trade down.
March 31st, 2026 at 1:06 pm
813Buc:
JL doesn’t need an email, he needs a willing trade partner. Without one, you cant just “trade down” because you want to.
March 31st, 2026 at 1:10 pm
JA says:
“Losers trade down”
Maybe one of the single dumbest things Ive read in here.
Are you calling the Rams losers? They’ve built a superbowl roster by constantly trading down or trading away first round picks.
March 31st, 2026 at 1:17 pm
Losers trade down, ha ha how stupid. If the Bucs can trade from 15 to about the mid 20’s and pick up a second round pick, that should be the move. Jason has done well on hitting on the day 2 picks.
March 31st, 2026 at 1:18 pm
If Sadiq is still there it could bring a haul of draft picks in a trade down.
Not the worst strategy in the world. More picks equal more opportunities to find a gem.
This is a draft we cannot afford to get wrong. A talent infusion is desperately needed.
Jason Licht’s job depends on it.
March 31st, 2026 at 1:21 pm
Fano—
Agree. The Rams have not traded up—they do something better. They’ve traded away their first round pick the last 9 of the last 10 drafts.
Amendment: Trading back assures, mediocrity or worse.
Trading up or away picks for known talent is for winners!
Trading back sounds cool and smart, but it ain’t. It’s a fan brainwashing technique often used to cover your inability to evaluate talent, and it sounds like it’s working!
March 31st, 2026 at 1:21 pm
Fanofdabucs
they’ll be plenty of suitors…
always is, always will be lol
GO BUCS!!!!
March 31st, 2026 at 1:24 pm
Chumming the waters
Round and Round it goes….
March 31st, 2026 at 1:30 pm
trading back isnt for “losers” lol…
-Patriots traded back after winning the SB in 2017
– Seahawks GM traded back in 3 straight drafts from 2014-2016
-Philly traded back after winning in 2018
losers like the JAGS trade up for a player like travis hunter lol
GO BUCS!!!!
March 31st, 2026 at 1:31 pm
If the right offer comes absolutely… The more lottery tickets the better… Defense needs a complete makeover from top to bottom and it starts this draft. I just hope JL can hit. Not a great track record on defense outside of a few guys. Sorry, draft record doesn’t lie. It is what it is.
March 31st, 2026 at 1:37 pm
Trade down is a no brainer if it’s available.
Likely means missing on Ioane but a G isn’t our top priority. Would save a lot of money letting Mauch go next season and having solid depth this year but I digress.
Trade down still nets you the LB you want in Allen or Rodriguez and a DT or DE in Thomas or Hunter. Extra pick gets you the G or CB or TE or WR like Ted Hurst. Will be very happy draft night if they can pick up an extra 3rd or 4th by moving down 6-10 spots.
March 31st, 2026 at 1:38 pm
Just hope he didn’t read the part about drafting a guard in 1st…… good ones can be picked much later…….
March 31st, 2026 at 1:41 pm
What a LOSER we have in a GM!!! The more picks he has the more mistakes JL will make! Licht, Bowels & #6, Have To Go!!!
March 31st, 2026 at 1:53 pm
The natives are restless
Been sold worthless trinkets in exchange for loyalty
Front office speak with forked tongue
Drought going into 3rd year, tribe told free beer tomorrow
Fred Flintstone and Barney , GM and Head coach
.
Hangman is comin’ down from the gallows, and I don’t have very long
(Yeah!)
[Chorus]
The jig is up, the news is out
They finally found me
March 31st, 2026 at 1:55 pm
Unless the absolute right guy falls to us at 15 (or close enough not to have to sell the farm to move up), I’d rather trade back for more picks than reach for a guy just due to need.
March 31st, 2026 at 1:57 pm
You plan ahead, sign and trade Mauch for a couple of picks. That’s part of our problem. We just let them go for nothing. Rams trade high picks for known commodities. Even 1st rounders are a 50/50 gamble at best. Trading takes most of the uncertainty out of the process. We like to gamble on the picks because we think we’re smarter than everyone else.
March 31st, 2026 at 2:05 pm
Sadiq and Love and maybe even an OT might be there….trade to around 19, grab Ioane and call it a day.
March 31st, 2026 at 2:08 pm
I’d be so happy with a trade down lol.
We have too many positions to draft vs picks
Edge
LB
DT
CB
TE
I’d prefer moving back and having 5-6 picks in the top 4 rounds to spend on these positions. Also would be nice to add OL & WR or double dip at the above positions at LB/Edge/DT.
March 31st, 2026 at 2:13 pm
Agree Saskbucs
Trade down gives us flexibility to pick up a WR or OG in the middle rounds. Love Hurst or Campbell from Cincy. Leaves the early picks for defense where we’re desperate for corner, LB and DT.
March 31st, 2026 at 2:16 pm
We’re at 15, Pittsburgh is at 21. Pittsburgh might want that quarterback ty Simpson who would likely not be available at 21, so I asked Rock what it would take for Pittsburgh to trade up to us
“To trade up from their projected No. 21 overall pick to the Buccaneers’ No. 15 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers would most likely need to give up their 1st-round pick (No. 21), a 3rd-round pick (No. 76, acquired from the Cowboys in the George Pickens trade), and a 4th-round pick (No. 121)”
March 31st, 2026 at 2:17 pm
Yes but the reason the Bucs don’t like to trade the picks for proven players is it them messes up who they can re sign if they want to the proven guys come with big price tags am Bucs only have so much cash to spend each year so they love there Ppl sucks be wise they don’t cost as much having starters on Rookie deals like Tykee smith was a 3rd round Pick he’s started an he don’t make near enough what he’s worth same with Parrish last year Kancey an Mauch are coming up they both need deals an so does Yaya luckily Kancey has 5 year option so he has 2 years left
March 31st, 2026 at 2:18 pm
That seems excessive
March 31st, 2026 at 2:19 pm
He’s not wrong on the depth. We need so much of it.
The problem is that we also need blue chippers.
This roster has a lot of “good” players. But there isn’t a lot of true game changers.
On the roster currently I would put the following in as a “yes” or potential:
Wirfs – yes
EE – potential
Kancey – potential
Parrish – potential
Mauch – potential
Of course Kancey can’t stay on the field so it basically irrelevant. I would put Parrish as the closest to being a “yes” as any of the potentials.
We need more blue chippers.
March 31st, 2026 at 2:26 pm
As for the people complaining about no depth, we spent the three post-Brady years trying to get rid of excessive cap, and pretty much all of our depth was ufas
March 31st, 2026 at 2:38 pm
Trade down until all you have is like 15 7th rounders. Genius.
March 31st, 2026 at 2:53 pm
Almost everyone wants to trade down to pick up an extra high value pick – it’s not easy to do unless someone really falls that other teams want and the Bucs don’t need, like an OT.
But yeah, if you can trade back and pick-up an extra 2nd rounder, that would be fantastic. Doubt it happens though.
March 31st, 2026 at 2:55 pm
Obvious Says:
March 31st, 2026 at 2:19 pm
He’s not wrong on the depth. We need so much of it.
The problem is that we also need blue chippers.
This roster has a lot of “good” players. But there isn’t a lot of true game changers.
On the roster currently I would put the following in as a “yes” or potential:
Wirfs – yes
EE – potential
Kancey – potential
Parrish – potential
Mauch – potential
————-
So the only good player is someone who is a first ballot HOFer? Not setting the bar too high at all.
Meanwhile Winfield is also on a HOF career path and doesn’t make your list – but Parrish does? LOL!
Also Luke is better than Cody, who is also good, but Luke has already established himself as a stop tackle in the league. Man, you have no clue what you’re watching.